Spring into Wellness! Teen Damien goes to Jameson Camp

So, confession: I'm fairly new to this whole Youth Outreach Educator thing. I mean, I've spent a lot of time educating, and have experienced almost 15 years as a youth, but having the official title means I have access to more opportunities in Indianapolis than ever before.

Prime example? Because I'm a Damien Center representative, advocate, and rockstar (if I do say so myself), I was privileged to have a table at Jameson Camp's Spring into Wellness Fair on Saturday, March 24, 2012.

Confession #2: I never went to camp. Ever. Camp sounded scary and lonely to a very shy girlie like me. BUT OH MY GOSH I WISH I WERE EITHER 7 OR 17 BECAUSE NOW I WANT TO GO. I was actually a little nervous showing up ("Where do I go? I don't know any of these people! What if no one likes me?") but was immediately welcomed by their Youth Leaders, exceptional kids who are dedicated to the camp's mission and complete service hours. In about 10 seconds the Teen Damien booth was set up and I was ready to rock and roll at camp.

Confession #3: I'm ridiculously nosy. So, naturally, Miss Nosy McNoserson darted away from her Teen Damien table to check out the other booths and talk to some of the Jameson Camp leaders and counselors--here's what I found:

• I'm at a healthy BMI (body mass index) thanks to Ericka from Speedway Nutrition. Eating healthy pays off, and now I have the calculation to show it!
• FitCity is an organization in Indy that helps fight child obesity--the healthy way.
• Love, commitment, and relationships should be discussed with people of ALL ages, including the youngsters. We don't give them enough credit sometimes. Thanks, Planned Parenthood of Indiana!
• I'm too big for the bouncy houses. Yeah, I checked.

Final confession: If I'm not at the Damien Center in July, it may or may not be because I'm pretending to be 12-year-old so I can hang out at Jameson Camp. I still haven't decided if I would want to do the JC Juniors Camp, the Wellness Camp, or Tataya Mato. (This one is for kids infected/affected by HIV. So incredibly important.) Thank you, everyone at Jameson Camp, for including Teen Damien in your 2012 Spring Into Wellness Fair!

Mackenzie
Youth Outreach Educator
The Damien Center